Main contributor: James L. Tanner
Broad Street. Charleston, South Carolina.

South Carolina is known as "The Palmetto State" because its official tree is the sabal palmetto.[1] South Carolina became the 8th state to join the Union on May 23, 1788.[2] The state has a total area of 32,020 square miles (82,933 square kilometers) and as of 2024, the population of South Carolina was approximately 5.46 million.[3] South Carolina’s economy ranks 25th in size among states and Washington, DC.[4] The largest industries by revenue in South Carolina are Hospitals, New Car Dealers and Automobile & Light Duty Motor Vehicle Manufacturing.[5] In the 3rd quarter of 2023, the real GDP growth rate for South Carolina was 5.7% per year.[4] The state’s top commodities are broilers (young chickens), turkeys, greenhouse nurseries, cotton, corn, cattle, soybeans, peanuts, eggs, and wheat.[6]

Some of the state’s most attractive features include its historic sites, beautiful beaches, and vibrant cities. Notable attractions include the Heyward-Washington House in Charleston,[7] Middleton Place,[8] and the scenic Myrtle Beach.[9]

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History of South Carolina

When the first Europeans visited what is now the state of South Carolina, there were many groups of Native Americans who lived in the area the largest being the Cherokee and Catawba, as well as the Chickasaw, Creek (Muskogean), Congaree, Pee Dee, Shawnee, Waccamaw, Yamasee and others.[10] Both Spain and France established transient colonies in South Carolina but the first permanent settlements were made by wealthy planters and their slaves coming from the English Caribbean colony of Barbados.[11] They arrived at the port of Charleston in 1670. European settlement in the region of modern-day South Carolina began on a large scale after 1651, when frontiersmen from the English colony of Virginia began to settle in the northern half of the region. The southern half saw the immigration of plantation owners from Barbados, who established slave plantations which cultivated cash crops such as tobacco, cotton, rice, and indigo.

Flag of South Carolina (1910–1940)

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union in December 1860, and was one of the founding member states of the Confederacy in February 1861. The bombardment of the beleaguered U.S. garrison at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor on April 12, 1861, is generally recognized as the first military engagement of the war.[12] The war led to a significant loss of life. One-fifth of South Carolina’s white males of fighting age were sacrificed to the Confederate cause. The end of the war also marked the end of slavery, leading to major social changes.[13]

In the late 19th century, South Carolina’s economy was largely agricultural, benefitting from the area’s fertile soil.[14] The textile industry was the most significant early industry to take root in the upcountry and Piedmont regions of South Carolina.[15] The mid-20th century brought major changes, as South Carolina’s economy industrialized, its metropolitan areas grew, and the civil rights movement swept across the state.[16]

Demographics of South Carolina

The demographic distribution of South Carolina is as follows:[17]

  • White: 65.66%
  • Black or African American: 26.16%
  • Two or more races: 3.97%
  • Other race: 2.16%
  • Asian: 1.64%
  • Native American: 0.31%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.09%

Most common surnames in South Carolina

Surname Incidence Frequency
Smith 64,997 1:76
Williams 49,152 1:101
Brown 47,414 1:104
Johnson 43,864 1:113
Davis 35,891 1:138
Jones 33,594 1:147
Wilson 22,762 1:217
Jackson 20,600 1:240
Miller 19,289 1:256
Taylor 18,641 1:265

Researching family history in South Carolina

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has colonial records, original county records, and the best manuscript collection in the state. The largest book collection, with newspapers, biographies, and reference works is located in the South Carolina State Library. Additional collections of records are available at the South Carolina Historical Society and the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina Archives. The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina Archives website may not be immediately available. Additional extensive collections are available from the South Carolina Genealogical Society and the Old Edgefield Distrist Genealogical Society. There are also local county societies and libraries.

South Carolina County List

South Carolina has 46 counties.
Abbeville Aiken Allendale Anderson
Bamberg Barnwell Beaufort Berkeley
Calhoun Charleston Cherokee Chester
Chesterfield Clarendon Colleton Darlington
Dillon Dorchester Edgefield Fairfield
Florence Georgetown Greenville Greenwood
Hampton Horry Jasper Kershaw
Lancaster Laurens Lee Lexington
Marion Marlboro McCormick Newberry
Oconee Orangeburg Pickens Richland
Saluda Spartanburg Sumter Union
Williamsburg York

Explore more about South Carolina

MyHeritage.com has 21 specific collections of records from South Carolina. These include South Carolina Newspapers, 1787-2009, South Carolina, Deaths, 1915-1943, Service Records of Confederate Soldiers, and South Carolina Obituaries. There are many other records in the South Carolina Collections Catalog.


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